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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: GeoffTurner on Monday 12 November 18 00:36 GMT (UK)
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I would appreciate help with any information locals might have on my ancestor Thomas Rushton, a brewer from Liverpool who was transported to Australia as a convict and played an important role in the early Sydney brewing industry. I believe he was born in 1745, and married Amelia Tatlock (1753–1797) in Liverpool on 1 Aug 1774. He had a brewery in Dale St, Liverpool, from about 1770 to 1796. He was found guilty of forgery in Chester on 21 April 1802 and exiled for seven years, leaving Spithead aboard the convict ship Calcutta in April 1803. I know quite a bit about his life in Australia and my connection to him but would love more information about life in Liverpool. The Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS forum has been very helpful but I still don't know his confirmed birth date, his parents, that sort of thing. Happy to share all I know about him in Australia. Thanks, Geoff Turner
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Burial of children to Thomas and Amelia:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J8VS-RZ7
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J8VS-BM8
Intended marriage 1770:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F1ZN-8NP
Jamjar
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Do you have copy of his various paperwork that is held at the NSW State Archives, as per both the Colonial Secretary's papers and the main online Convict Indexes?
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/colonial-secretarys-papers
and
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts
JM
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Was he also a brewer in Macclesfield? A Thomas RUSHTON, brewer, was issued a certificate of conformity (after bankruptcy) on 7 Oct 1794.
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In addition to the childrens' burials that Jamjar mentioned, there is also:
9 Oct 1789 John Rushton aged: 1 yr, abode: Dale street
21 Nov 1789 Robert Rushton aged : 2 days abode: Dale street
15 Jul 1794 Eliza Rushton aged: 4 mths abode: Dale street
Modified to add: - All of Thomas (brewer) and Amelia
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More children's burials
17 May 1778 Charles Rushton (son of Thomas, brewer) abode: Dale street
24 Nov 1780 John Rushton (son of Thomas, brewer) abode: Dale street
15 Sep 1781 Sarah Rushton (daughter of Thomas, brewer) abode: Dale street
20 Nov 1798 John Rushton (son of Thomas, brewer) age: 4 Years & 4 Months,
abode: Lumber Street
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Did Thomas died in November 1822? There was an Inquest 21 November 1822.
Something odd, but … I will type up anyway….
Sydney Burial Ground re-Interment Register of 1901.
Thomas RUSHTON died 21 December 1822 (note I mentioned an inquest for same name but one month earlier)
C of E, transferred to Rookwood Section AAA, Plot 554-9,
With Morgan,
Applicant for re-burial : John B MORGAN, Flood St, Leichhardt.
I wonder if there's a headstone, and if so, if it gives age or parents' names.
JM
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I have good paperwork once he got to Australia thanks mainly to work done by other descendants. We know Thomas Rushton and his wife Amelia had at least eight children who died in early childhood – six sons, Charles, John, John Tatlock, John, Robert and George, and two daughters, Sarah and Eliza. Amelia herself died in 1797, aged about 44. Their daughter Henrietta and her husband William Chippindall travelled as free settlers to Australia to join Thomas, only for Henrietta to die in childbirth about 18 months after arrival. I am descended from one of her sons. I found Thomas's bankruptcy in a list in "London Magazine: Or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer Vol 3" for 3 Apr 1784. I hadn't heard he was in Macclesfield but that is probably him. Maddy, do you have any more about that certificate of conformity? He was caught with the dodgy pound notes in Stockport in 1802 which is why he was tried in Chester, so we knew he had left Liverpool by then. We know that once in Australia he took as a second (common-law) "wife" Elizabeth Smith, convicted in the Old Bailey in 8 Jul 1789 of stealing a pair of linen sheets & other goods and given seven-year term. Such unions were not unusual in Sydney at the time. He was quite famous in Sydney because he was given charge of the Parramatta brewery, so that aspect of his life is reasonably well-known, but not his early life. There is a suggestion that he might have been the brother of Edward Rushton, the blind literary figure and abolitionist, but I have no proof of that because despite everyone's best intentions no-one has been able to establish Thomas's birth details. There are several births in the OPC database that could be him based on birthdates calculated from the passenger list on the Calcutta etc. Thanks for your help and quick response. I will keep trying until I can pin down his birth as that will hopefully open up more avenues to explore. Geoff.
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NSW BDM has his age at death as 78 years
1822, Volume 2B line 5571 would likely be a transmitted entry for Volume 8, line 762.
JM
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Yes, the English marriage was effectively terminated when he was sentenced to transportation beyond the seas. :) Many academic papers but also many threads here at RChat.
Back shortly with the links.
ADD
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=699561.0 (I need to update one of the links there, aifs paper issues... )
http://www.auswhn.org.au/blog/divorce-colonial-australia/
https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1707932/30_2_10.pdf
http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/SCULawRw/2007/4.pdf
JM
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I found Thomas's bankruptcy in a list in "London Magazine: Or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer Vol 3" for 3 Apr 1784. I hadn't heard he was in Macclesfield but that is probably him. Maddy, do you have any more about that certificate of conformity?
There are a few mentions in the newspapers eg:
"BANKRUPTS ... Thomas Rushton of Macclesfield, Cheshire, brewer, to surrender Jan 15,16 and Feb 11, at ten, at the Old Angel Inn, in Macclesfield. Attorneys, Mr Clulow, in Macclesfield, Mr John Thompson, Furnival's-inn, London."
Sun, Wednesday, January 1, 1794
"CERTIFICATES ... Oct 7, Thomas Rushton, of Macclesfield, Chester, brewer."
Morning Post, Wednesday, September 17, 1794
You say you've seen the likely baptism at Liverpool - 31 March 1745, Thomas son of Robert RUSHTON (labourer), born 8 March, Atherton St. Although nothing to prove this is your man.
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That age at death of 78 in 1822 fits in with the 1744-45 birth date we are working on.
A woman who has done academic work on the Neptune, the "hell ship" that Elizabeth Smith came to Australia on, and is preparing a book, tells us that as well as his common-law wife Thomas had taken a mistress and he actually died at the home of the mistress. The authorities called Elizabeth to come and collect the body and she was not best pleased, and made that obvious at the inquest. The mistress claimed Thomas had just been passing and felt unwell and asked to come in and lie down but I don't think anyone believed that was the true story.
The Neptune was one of a fleet of ships contracted to bring convicts to NSW instead of the usual practice of having the Royal Navy do it. The company that operated them were slave-traders and they kept the convicts chained below decks for the entire voyage. They kept discipline by literally flogging to death anyone they thought might be a petty thief. They were still throwing bodies overboard as they sailed into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour). Since one of the reasons for transporting convicts was to populate the colonies that was counter-productive so the authorities reverted to having the Navy do it after that.
So we know plenty about Thomas in Australia. It is his early years that elude us.
Geoff
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Different year of birth in the following :
Absolute Pardon No. 123
Thomas RUSHTON aged 55 years, at Pleas of Session of Crownmote, 21 April 1802 at Chester, sentenced to 14 years, arrived per Calcutta, 9 October 1803 to Port Phillip. To Hobart Town 19 February 1804, and then to Sydney per Lady Nelson 7 March 1804.
Spouse: Elizabeth Smith.
Thomas had child to Eliz GRAHAM 1815, and may have had children by others as per Tipping. Died November 1822 as per the late Garry Wilson’s Tasmanian Database
https://www.bda-online.org.au/files/TA1_Database.pdf
Absolute Pardon is likely digitised and online :)
JM
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http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/34360/20050715-0000/www.aifs.gov.au/institute/seminars/finlay.html
This is the current link to the Professor of Law's Academic Paper re colonial divorce.
JM
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That age at death of 78 in 1822 fits in with the 1744-45 birth date we are working on.
A woman who has done academic work on the Neptune, the "hell ship" that Elizabeth Smith came to Australia on, and is preparing a book, tells us that as well as his common-law wife Thomas had taken a mistress and he actually died at the home of the mistress. The authorities called Elizabeth to come and collect the body and she was not best pleased, and made that obvious at the inquest. The mistress claimed Thomas had just been passing and felt unwell and asked to come in and lie down but I don't think anyone believed that was the true story......
The Report of the Inquest is part of the holdings of the NSW State Archives. It has been digitised and is available online via their partnership with some commercial family history websites.
Here is my transcription of the Depositions of both Elizabeth Smith and Elizabeth Graham.
Elizabeth Smith Sworn deposit that the Deceased Thomas Rushton left his house between eight and nine oclock this morning in perfect health and good spirits and in about 20 minutes after a Girl came running to Deposith to say the Deceased was at the house of Mrs Graham in a Fit. Deposith who is house keeper to (not deciphered) declined going to the House where the deceased lay but sent her Servant, Mick. Deposith further sent the servant for Dr Bland.
Signed by El SMITH.
Elizabeth Graham sworn deposit that the Deceased Mr Thos Rushton came to her House about ten oclock this morning and after entering into conversation some short time with her complained of a pain in his shoulder or neck and requested to be allowed to law down at her bed. He lay down and immediately after appeared to be in a fit and in a very short time after expired, Deposith sent for Dr Bland who did not arrived until the Deceased had exported. Deposith also sent for several of her neighbours who were present at this time.
The Mark of Elizabeth Graham.
ADD
I see nothing in any part of the Inquest document to suggest that Elizabeth SMITH was displeased, sorry. To me, it is a typical Inquest report.
FURTHER ADD
Please read 'lay' for 'law' and 'expired' for exported ... predicative text on kindle e reader - sorry.
JM
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Hi Geoff,
You are getting lots of information about the Australian end of the story about which you say you have lots of info. :)
- maybe if you asked the Moderators to move your post to the UK board (in Liverpool area,) you might get more replies to what you want to know about the early life of your man.
Wiggy .
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I think the UK Chatters time difference may be influencing the locations ...it is after 3 pm in NSW ... so may be pre dawn in the UK.
Add
4am London :-[
JM
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Sydney Gazette and NSW Advertiser, Friday 22 November, 1822: Yesterday forenoon, suddenly, Mr. Thomas Rushton, aged 78. The deceased was the oldest brewer in the Colony, enjoyed generally pretty good health; and went into eternity without a moment's warning. Comments we refrain from, only it must be said, on so awful an event,—READER! "Prepare to meet thy GOD!"
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:D :D Yes, and elsewhere in that same edition of that newspaper, there is a report of a sermon with that text as it's theme, :D that had been preached that very week :) by Rev Erskine, a Wesleyan Missionary.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2181456
1821 ... Howe ... publishers of the Gazette were staunch Wesleyans :) http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/howe-robert-2252 he experienced a spiritual awakening and, in his own words, was 'wonderfully and mercifully visited by God and snatched from infamy in this world and Hell in the next'. He joined the group of Methodists who were working in Sydney and their influence, particularly that of Rev. Ralph Mansfield, was apparent when he published The Australian Magazine; or, Compendium of Religious, Literary, and Miscellaneous Intelligence, the first periodical to appear in Australia. The first number appeared in May 1821 and the publication continued until September 1822
It is likely that if there's any innuendo in the cutting re Thomas Rushton's death that it is editorial. The report of the inquest out at Cumberland may not have reached the Gazette office in Sydney in time for publication on 22 November, 1822. The usual way to reach Parramatta in 1822 was via the river rather than by the deteriorating road on horse :)
JM (some of my ancestors were Wesleyans in Sydney in that era).
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At the following link is mention of a book written by John MORGAN and the voyage of HMS Calcutta with convicts including the famous William BUCKLEY from Macclesfield ... perhaps there's a connection with the Morgan family who funded the reinterment of Thomas at Rookwood in 1901.
https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_calcutta_1803.htm
JM
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I understand the Morgans who had Thomas reburied were descendants of Thomas Rushton's daughter Mary Ann who came to Australia in 1827. We are descendants of Henrietta (Harriet) who came to Australia in 1815. Geoff
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Hi Geoff,
Have you found a headstone for Thomas at Rookwood?
JM
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I haven't had a chance to get to Rookwood yet. I'm in Brisbane, 600 miles or so from Sydney.
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There are several RChatters who are regulars on the Australia board with offline resources including transcripts of many of the headstones at Rookwood :).
JM
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Should I make a separate mention of that elsewhere then? I'm new at this, but I can't imagine a headstone will tell us much more than a birth year, and we already have four of them to choose from lol
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He was reburied in a vault in the Rookwood Anglican section, but the Australian Cemeteries Index does not have any Rushtons for that cemetery. Perhaps there is no separate headstone for him. Geoff
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It may include "son of ...... and ....." :)
Simply start a new thread on the Australia board, asking for a LOOK UP headstone transcript ROOKWOOD Cemetery as the topic heading and then explain you are hoping the transcription would be for Thomas RUSHTON who was interred Devonshire St Cemetery November 1822, and reinterred to Rookwood and the details for Rookwood are:
http://www.rookwoodcemetery.com.au/deceased-search-engine
Zone B AAA 554
and mention that your request refers a search as part of the following thread https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=803487.0
RED Post, if you don't ask you will never know. SAG CD may well have the transcript :)
:) :)
JM
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Quite a few of my ancestors were reinterred at various cemeteries from Devonshire St :) Australian Cemeteries Index misses some of them. But their details have been found on headstones/footstones or even on shared headstones/footstones with others interred in same plot/double plot/vault/monument.
JM
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Did Thomas died in November 1822? There was an Inquest 21 November 1822.
Something odd, but … I will type up anyway….
Sydney Burial Ground re-Interment Register of 1901.
Thomas RUSHTON died 21 December 1822 (note I mentioned an inquest for same name but one month earlier)
C of E, transferred to Rookwood Section AAA, Plot 554-9,
With Morgan,
Applicant for re-burial : John B MORGAN, Flood St, Leichhardt.
I wonder if there's a headstone, and if so, if it gives age or parents' names.
JM
:D
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Thanks everyone. I'll keep plugging away. The Rookwood site gives me a date of interment but no details about him. But as suggested I have started an Australian thread asking for a cemetery look-up if someone can do that for me. I have also, as suggested, asked the moderators to give this thread more of a Liverpool emphasis. I found the Rushton-Tatlock marriage bond which says he was 21 "or above" in 1774, not that he was necessarily 21, so am disregarding that as an indicator of his birth date (the bride was 15 "or above"). Death aged 78 in 1822 gives us 1744 birth. Convict ship log gives us 1748 birth. The 1745 baptism at St Peter's in Liverpool, son of Robert, fits the bill but we can't be sure that is him.
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There are baptisms for the younger children of Thomas and Amelia (Emilia,Emelin) at St Mary's RC in Liverpool..
George 1791, Charles 1792, Eliza 1794, John Tatlock 1795.
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Yes, thanks. Thomas Rushton and his wife Amelia had at least eight children who died in early childhood – six sons, Charles, John, John Tatlock, John, Robert and George, and two daughters, Sarah and Eliza -- as well as the two daughters who survived and came out to Australia.
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I decided to explore the possibility that the Thomas baptised at St Peter's on 31 Mar 1745, son of Robert, might be our man. If that is the case his father might be the Robert who married Rachel Kekwick in a Quaker ceremony at Penketh in 1738. The marriage was noted at the Hardshaw East Monthly Meeting. There was an Isabel Rushton (possibly Robert's sister, and described as the daughter of another Robert Rushton) who married a Daniel Kekwick (possibly Rachel's brother) in a Quaker ceremony at Marsden two years earlier. The widowed Rachel Rushton's funeral in 1788 was in the Quaker meeting hall at Marsden. Is it likely that a man from the Liverpool area (possibly Aintree/Walton on the Hill) would be marrying a woman from Penketh, and perhaps originally from Marsden? And more importantly I guess, how much intermarrying would there have been between, say, Anglicans and Quakers? I initially thought it unlikely that a brewer would have a Quaker mother but I gather 18th century Quakers drank alcohol because it was safer than water. They just didn't drink to excess. Again, any thoughts greatly appreciated. Geoff
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I'm descended from Mary Ann Rushton (daughter Thomas Rushton and Amelia Tatlock) . My Great grandfather John Buchanan Morgan apparently had Thomas's body re interred - My understanding was (please correct me if this is wrong) that John B Morgan did this to ensure that Thomas would be buried in an Anglican cemetery as opposed to a catholic one (and presumably save his soul from damnation ::) Such was the divide between the orange and the green... I do know that he despised catholics- as his daughter (my Nan Elsie Morgan) fell pregnant at 15 and married a catholic boy at 16. John B Morgan disowned her (temporarily) and refused to celebrate the wedding , marching in to the catholic church to sign the registry and then marching out again. She then lived at her husband's parents home when her man went off to war, her own parents not speaking to her. Those days!! ??? att is a pic of John B Morgan and family.
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That's a great picture, Cath. Do you know who is who in the picture? My understanding is that when Thomas Rushton (my 5 x ggfather -- I am descended from Mary Ann's sister Henrietta) died on 21 Nov 1822, he was buried in the Devonshire St cemetery, which was active from 1820 to 1867. When the NSW Railways decided to build Central Station in 1901, the cemetery area was resumed and relatives were given two month to have remains exhumed and reinterred. That is explained here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devonshire_Street_Cemetery
While the sectarian aspects might have been a factor, I think that was the main reason for the new burial. My cousin Liz in Canberra has done quite a bit of work in this area of the Rushton family. I will send this on to her and also check among the things she has sent me. If I find something that would be useful for you, I will send you a message. Geoff Turner, Brisbane.
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Hi Geoff
Thanks for clarifying- that makes sense! Re the photo- I can name most of them.
John Buchanan Morgan and wife Sarah Anne (Stanton) my nan is the baby Elsie Morgan.
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I'd appreciate as many names as possible, Cath, as would my cousin and friend Liz. Thanks for identifying John Buchanan Morgan and wife Sarah Anne (Stanton), and the baby Elsie Morgan. Message me privately if you wish.
Geoff